


Take Two Dramamine and Hope Gorlog's Listening

by pinegreenapples



Series: Modern AU [5]
Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Gen, will starts driving!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 11:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10464222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinegreenapples/pseuds/pinegreenapples
Summary: Halt knew this day was coming. He knew it was and yet he still was praying that maybe it wouldn’t happen despite its inevitability.The forest green sedan Halt had used for nearly a decade sat ominously in his driveway. It’s darkened windows seemed like soulless pits ready to consume him the second he entered. Each ding mark and dent seemed to mock him as if they knew he would be occupying the passenger’s seat this time.Halt glared at it. He could do this, thousands of other parents did it, he could too. Besides, he had made a promise with Will. Halt could never resist Will’s irrepressible hope and optimism.Halt took a sip of his coffee and looked back at the car again. Was it just him or did the fender suddenly look like a maniacal grin?He grimaced and took a larger sip of coffee.





	

Halt knew this day was coming. He knew it was and yet he still was praying that maybe it wouldn’t happen despite its inevitability.

The forest green sedan Halt had used for nearly a decade sat ominously in his driveway. It’s darkened windows seemed like soulless pits ready to consume him the second he entered. Each ding mark and dent seemed to mock him as if they knew he would be occupying the passenger’s seat this time.

Halt glared at it. He could do this, thousands of other parents did it, he could too. Besides, he had made a promise with Will. Halt could never resist Will’s irrepressible hope and optimism.

Halt took a sip of his coffee and looked back at the car again. Was it just him or did the fender suddenly look like a maniacal grin?

He grimaced and took a larger sip of coffee.

“Alright! I’m ready, let’s go!” Will blew down the stairs and hopped around for a moment as he finished pulling on his other boot. “C’mon Halt!” Will darted out the door and over to the car.

Halt took a deep breath, shrugged on his windbreaker, and prayed to Gorlog that he would survive this.

Outside Will was bouncing from foot to foot with impatience. 

“Alright Will, I think to start you off easy I’ll back out of the driveway and then you’ll go around the neighborhood a few times. Does that sound good?” 

Will nodded vigorously and leaped into the passenger seat. He stared at Halt with the most inane grin on his face. Halt felt the dread pool a little deeper.

Getting out of the driver’s seat and watching Will get into it felt like pulling teeth. Halt found himself repeating  _ Will wants this  _ over and over as he watched the boy adjust his mirrors and finally pull the gear into drive.

“Alright, now just take it slow.” Halt said, somewhat surprised as his voice remained level. Will nodded. “You don’t have to-”

The car lurched forward. Halt felt his whole press flush to the car seat. He gripped the armrests in a death grip. His jaw clamped together tighter than a bear trap.

Will slammed down on the brakes. Halt was pushed forward and he became uniquely acquainted with the dashboard as it sat centimeters from his nose.

Halt closed his eyes and leaned back again. His stomach roiled. To his left, he could hear Will apologizing profusely. He took a deep breath. 

“Perhaps a little slower this time, Will.” He stared out at the asphalt, he could do this. 

Will ducked his head and pushed down on the gas pedal again. To Halt’s relief it was a much slower acceleration.

They kept at it for a solid half hour of lurching accelerations and sudden stops as they made their way through the neighborhood. Halt thought he was doing remarkably well, his stomach was only half protesting and his headache was a nuisance, but manageable. Granted, the nausea had grown but they were probably going to stop soon anyway.

However, the route they had been taking now ended in a T-intersection. Halt felt his heart rate ratchet slightly.

“Alright Will, luckily there’s no one at this intersection so we’re going to practice some turning. Since we want to get home fairly soon try a right turn.”

Will looked at him, his eyes wide. “Are you sure, Halt?”

“Yes Will. Go before I change my mind.”

“Okay.” Will nodded and looked down at the steering wheel. “I want to turn it to the right, right?”

“Yes. When turning regularly always move the wheel in the direction you’re turning.” Halt braced himself.

Will entered the turn. It was messy. He swerved too close, then overcorrected, and managed to hit the gas and brakes a thousand times during the 30 foot crossing to Florent Avenue.

Halt’s stomach rolled and flipped and then finally gave in.

“Stop the car!” He barked. Will stomped on the brakes and Halt nearly lost it then and there. He fumbled with his door handle and then fell to all fours in the grass.

Halt threw up. Multiple times.

In between heaves, he noticed Will had come to stand next him, his face worried.

“Halt?”

“Call.” He dry heaved. “Crowley.” Halt bit out and threw up yet again.

Halt had just regained control of his stomach when Crowley sidled up in his pickup truck.

Will ran over to the him. They exchanged a brief conversation. Crowley glanced over at Halt, then at the sedan. He burst out into peals of laughter.

Halt imagined the numerous ways he could kill Crowley. He opened his mouth to shout a few choice expletives but thought better of it as he felt last week’s meals rise up his throat.

“Well, some pickle you’ve got yourself into, Halt!” Crowley smiled cheerfully at Halt.

The authorities would never know. Halt wouldn’t leave a trace, and then he’d finally be rid of this irritation.

“I need you to drive Will back home.” He grit out.

“And what about you?” Crowley cocked his head. “You’re shivering.”

Halt grimaced, the post cookie toss shivers were always awful. “I’ll follow in a moment.”

Crowley snorted. “Alright then. If you’re not back at the cabin ten minutes after we get there I’m coming back and getting you.”

“You do that.” 

Halt watched as Crowley herded a reluctant Will into his truck and drove off. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

So maybe he  _ couldn’t _ do this.

It took a long moment, but Halt eventually made it to the sedan and then home. He had to pause a few times to let his headache abate but he was just glad he had made it out of the grass in the first place.

When he walked into the cabin, Crowley had his arm around a blubbering Will.

“An-and I-I didn’t mean to-”

“No of course not, Will. Halt was just being stubborn. You know how sick he gets on carousels, he should’ve asked me to help you learn to drive.” Crowley tried soothingly. Halt winced internally as Will sobbed harder.

“He-hic- di-did ‘c-cause hic I asked him hic tooo! It’s hic all my f-fault!” Will wailed.

“It’s not your fault, Will. Crowley’s right. I was just being stubborn, I know I can’t survive being a passenger in a car and I shouldn’t have pushed it.” Halt cut in. He sat in the seat across Will and took his hands.

“I don’t blame you for wanting to drive with me and I certainly don’t blame you for what happened, but I think what we’ve learned from today is that perhaps Crowley should be the one teaching you to drive.” He rubbed small circles into the back of Will’s hands.

Will nodded morosely. “‘M sorry, Halt.”

“It’s alright, you have nothing to be sorry for. Maybe we can even try again when you’re a little bit better and I have a full bottle of dramamine.”

Will sniffled. “Okay.”

“Alright. Now, if you don’t mind I’m going to take a nap.” Halt got up. “Crowley, thank you for coming, it was appreciated.”

“Oh anytime, Halt. What would my life be like without you turning green at every object that moves quicker than a turtle?” Crowley got up from the table as well and moved towards the door.

“Goodbye Crowley.” Halt bit out. Crowley just chuckled and disappeared out the door.

***

The next week, Crowley promised Will he’d drive with him. When the sedan limped back into Halt’s driveway, Halt noticed Crowley was a peculiar shade of white.

How odd, he thought in amusement, as Will bounded out of the car and Crowley-strangely- stayed put.

“Did you have a good time, Will?” Halt asked.

“Oh yeah! We practiced turning and now I can turn right pretty well but I need to work on my left hand turns. Crowley says I’m all over the intersection still.” Will bounced up and down.

“Well I’m glad you’re improving. Why don’t you go in and finish up your homework, I’m just going to talk to Crowley for a moment.”

Will nodded and ran up the steps.

Crowley finally emerged from the car.

“Well you two look like you had fun.” Halt remarked.

Crowley looked dead straight at Halt and the haunted look in his eyes told Halt that Gorlog clearly had not been listening today.

“He turns sixteen when?” Crowley sounded a little choked.

“February 19.”

“Gorlog’s horns and beard.” Crowley whispered hoarsely. “I’m not sure I’ll survive that long.”

Halt shrugged. “Perhaps Gilan would be willing to help out when he’s home.”

Crowley stared at Halt in dawning amazement. “Halt O’Carrick, you are one wily bastard.”

Halt stared unimpressed at Crowley.

“Crowley Meratyn, I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.”

Crowley just chuckled. “Of course you don’t.”


End file.
